Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 3): History of the First Toon
--- Joshua Durand ---
(As if there was any other choice.)
His shaking hands reached out and took the gun.
The world around him disappeared in a sea of black, leaving him standing in an endless void with the Killjoy’s gun in his hands.
A gloved hand with claws sticking out of the fabric pulled him forward by the gun and left him staring into a mad set of yellow eyes surrounded by a skull mask.
“So this is where you disappeared to @^#&%.” A maw full of fangs grinned, before chuckling as Joshua’s eyes rolled up into his skull. “It’s good to see you.”
--- @^#&% &@%#$ ---
He was a dreamer with his head in the clouds.
Everyone always told him he needed to be more realistic, that he’d never amount to anything otherwise, but he couldn’t bring himself to listen to any of them.
No matter how much reality beat him down, he just… he couldn’t.
---
He was a janitor barely making ends meet.
The only reason he could do that much was because his boss let him sleep in the back room. A part of the scenery that everyone was content to forget about.
No matter how much the crowd applauded, he knew… it wasn’t for him.
---
He was just another member of the audience.
Eyes upon the stage watching the actors bring their story to life, making everyone experience emotion so elusive as they played out their roles.
No matter how much he wished to join them, he… he could only watch.
---
He was in love with a woman named Betty.
The moment she entered the room it was like a spotlight shone down on her, causing everyone else to fade into the background as he prayed for her to look his way.
No matter how much he wanted her though… she deserved better.
---
He was enthralled by what he was seeing.
Everyone was, the whimsical cartoons playing out on the screen. A new invention mixing moving drawings with music for an illusion of life that surpassed the stage he dreamed of.
No matter how much he knew it was impossible… he dreamed of them coming off the screen.
---
He was going to take a risk for something better.
The theater was having auditions, and while he may have failed his last few tries, this one was different. Betty was auditioning too, and they could do it together.
No matter how much he feared being rejected again… he had to try.
---
He was a failure whose dreams wouldn’t come true…
Everyone had warned him about that all his life and he’d never listened. He’d failed his audition… again. And Betty… Betty was seeing the new star.
No matter how much he wished it… his dreams would stay dreams.
---
He was just trying to be a good friend.
Things with Betty probably wouldn’t ever go the way he wanted, but that didn’t mean he could just let that asshole cheat on her and break her heart.
No matter how much said asshole kicked his ass… or got him fired…
---
He was… he was thinking about ending things.
Every day was wearing down on him. Every day he failed at everything he tried. Every day he consoled himself with cartoons. Every day he was forced to live in harsh reality.
No matter how much he wanted things to get better… every day they didn’t.
---
He was a hostage being held at gunpoint.
That was something he felt he should be more concerned about but he couldn’t really bring himself to do it. After all, he'd had his last meal in the dinner that Betty worked at, and got to say goodbye to her, so if this was how it went well…
No matter how much- “You know you need to smile more.”
He blinked. “What?”
“You need to smile more!” The masked man holding him at gunpoint reiterated. “I mean you look all sad and dour and it’s really bumming me out.”
“That’s because we’re holding him hostage to keep the cops back.” The other (unmasked) man pointed out looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. “He’s probably as happy to be here as I am.”
“What are you talking about you’re happy to be here aren’t you Griffy?” The masked man blinked innocently.
“Not at all.” The other man stated in a tone that told him that if he ever said ‘Griffy’ he was probably going to die. “This was supposed to be a simple job and look at how many cops you’ve brought down on us Jackie!”
“Oh, there aren’t that many…” The masked man -Jackie- tried to argue before patting down a pocket. “I think I have more bullets than cops.”
“You can’t go killing cops, that’ll just have the whole city hunting us down!” ‘Griffy’ scowled looking out the door’s glass to see the many cop cars gathering outside.
He watched Jackie’s eyes flash yellow as his grin grew manic. “Sounds like fun…”
“No it doesn’t, and when you take that Mask off you’ll agree with me.” ‘Griffy’ frowned, with a concerned glance at his friend.
“Only one of us is the Killjoy Griffy…” Jackie growled, his eyes glowing brighter.
“Y-you’re a voodoo boy…” He realized, a flavor of fear filling him that hadn’t been there before, because while he wasn’t afraid to die if the rumors were true voodoo boys could do far worse than killing somebody.
Jackie’s eyes dimmed as he made a so-so gesture with the gun. “Eh, it’s not really voodoo so much as it is Madness.”
“Madness…” He repeated, the way the other man said the word, making his heart beat a little faster.
Jackie tilted his head as the man stared at him, before what could only be described as a mad grin slowly grew on his face. “That’s… interesting… the voices like you…”
He swallowed. “Voices?”
“There are eyes on you, watching you, waiting for the curtains to open and the show to begin.” The man in the mask explained, an odd tone to his voice as if it wasn’t really him saying the words.
“Jackie…” ‘Griffy’ said with no small amount of fear or concern.
The masked man blinked, looking confused for a second before putting on a wide smile. “I’ve got an idea! A wonderful idea! Heh-heh…”
“Jackie the last time you got an idea with that look you got us into this mess.” ‘Griffy’ pointed out.
“You’re right! I did, and because of that wonderful idea we met this fellow here!” Jackie explained, tapping his chest with the gun as the masked man led him towards the door. “Now here’s what’s going to happen, I’m going to throw you out these doors and you’re going to dazzle those cops out there with the most distracting performance they have ever seen!”
“A-a performance?” He stammered out even as ‘Griffy’ shouted, “Are you insane?!”
“Yes, a performance the likes of which no man out there has ever witnessed!” The man in the mask nodded his voice practically echoing out. “Now the world is your stage, so get out there and show everyone a world of entertainment!”
The next thing he knew he was flying out the door before painfully landing on the pavement in front of the police.
“Are you alright kid?” One of the officers asked, walking up to him as others shouted out to start moving in.
He knew that the smart thing to do was to keep quiet and just let the cops arrest the two criminals that had taken him hostage but… (but I… I want to put on at least one show before I die… and he wanted to see a show.)
As the cops began to pass him his heart pounded inside of his chest, until (it’s finally show time!)
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With a dexterity he didn’t know he had, he stole the gun from the cop’s holster before sticking it to his own chin and yelling, “Stop or the hostage gets it!” in his most gruff accent.
The cop gave him a confused look even as the other cops came to a stop. “Boy what do you think you’re doing?”
When the officer took a step towards him he cocked the hammer of the gun, before growling out. “Hold it! Make a move and the hostage gets it!”
“P-please, listen to him h-he’s crazy enough to actually do it!” He whimpered, letting actual tears form in his eyes.
The cop looked at him like he was crazy, (which I just might be…) “Boy what are you-”
“He’s a Voodoo Boy!” He wailed loud enough for everyone to hear, and causing the entire (audience) to gasp.
(Crazy like a fox that is!)
“That’s right!” He snarled, putting on a mean face. “And if you don’t listen to what I say I’ll blow his brains all over these stairs! I will!”
“S-save me, p-please save me!” He cried, putting on an ugly face. “I-I just got married! P-please don’t make my girl a widow!”
“Oh, she’ll be a widow alright! That is unless everyone stays right where they are!” He yelled, before grabbing his own shirt and began dragging himself towards the street even as it meant pushing past a few of the boys in blue who backed away in fear of catching his ‘voodoo curse’.
“You can’t tell me you’re buying this malarky.” At least until one of them refused to let him push back.
(Uh-oh…) He began to panic as the officer glared down at him.
“Oh? Ya, don’t think I’ll pull the trigger on him do ya?” He managed to get out in his ‘criminal’ voice.
“Everyone knows voodoo boys aren’t real.” The cop told him. “This idiot is just distracting us from the actual goons we’re after, probably threatening him or paying him off.”
“P-please, don’t do this…” He whimpered, not really having to fake it.
“Don’t think voodoo boys are real do ya?” He grumbled out with no small amount of irritation. “Well, do ya think this gun is real? Because I’ll be painting that pretty suit red, blue boy!”
The cop narrowed his eyes. “You’re not going to shoot yourself.”
“Oh, shooting the hostage doesn’t scare you eh? Well then-” He aimed the gun at the man’s crotch. “How’s about shootin’ off your jibbly bits, eh?!”
“No! Not his jibbly bits!” He pleaded with himself as he fell to his knees. “He needs those to satisfy his poor lonely wife!”
He jabbed the gun into the now nervous looking cops leg. “Oh, I doubt he’s satisfyin’ anyone with this… this… surprisingly large amount of… heat he’s packing…”
Flattening his own expression he blinked. “What.”
With his gruff face he looked up at the now confused cop. “I take it back, you must have a very happy wife, my good man. Congratulations.”
With his flat face he said. “No seriously, what is happening here?”
His gruff face gave the embarrassed looking cop a coy grin and a wink. “The other cops better be careful of you stealing their wives. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation, he grumbled out, “Oh, just shoot me now.”
He leapt back to his feet as he put the gun back to his chin as he yelled, “Don’t tempt me!!!”
“I take it back, I take it back, I take it back!” He repeated with growing panic as he raised his other hand into the air.
With a snarling growl he looked out over the watching (audience). “Now if anyone doesn’t want me to shoot this wise guy here, then they better start meetin’ my demands, ya see?!”
“And, and what are your demands?” One of the other cops asked, as he finally spotted something.
He narrowed his eyes as he gave the cops a calculating look and slowly backed away from them. “I want one thousand smackers in a duffle bag brought forward with an unplated car. You’ve got one hour to get my money or it’s off with this man’s head!”
“P-please, just do what he says!” He cried.
“We-we’re going to need time to get that kind of money together.” The cop nervously told him, eyeing the others.
“Oh, well ya see time ain’t exactly on your side.” He growled at the man before jabbing the gun at his own temple. “Or rather it’s not on the side of our funny friend here!”
“L-look, don’t shoot!” The cop shouted. “Just, just give us a bit of time!”
“Ya want time, do ya?” He scoffed, as his back hit a car. “In that case, I want something easy for you boys in blue to do.”
“W-what do you want?” The officer nervously asked.
“Oh, it’s real simple like.” He assured the cop as he blindly scrabbled to open the car with his hand. “All I want ya to do… is please tip your servers this evening.” He answered in his regular voice as he found the handle.
“What?” The cop blinked.
“It would be ever so kind of you to tip the waitstaff, they do live off of that money after all.” He explained, with a shake of his head as he opened the door. “Real shame how few of them get paid for the fine work that they do.”
“What?” The cop repeated, looking just as confused as the rest of the boys in blue.
“You see, the show has sadly come to end. You’ve all been a wonderful audience and I would absolutely love to entertain you all once more.” He sincerely told them, as he let the gun fall limp in his hand before taking a bow. “Thank you all for watching my very first performance!”
He tossed the gun to the side as he memorized everyone’s dumbfounded faces before willingly hopping into the car with his ‘captors’ where ‘Griffy’ promptly floored it and a struggling Jackie finally gave up suppressing his giggles, the man in the mask’s laughter following them all the way down the street.
“Did you see their faces!” Jackie cackled, as ‘Griffy’ drove them off after his… (after my show…)
“Alright, yeah that was pretty funny.” ‘Griffy’ told the laughing man, trying to keep his focus on speeding away before the cops could mount a pursuit. Though the man did spare him a glance. “You’ve definitely got more talent than I was expecting.”
“Damn right he does!” Jackie smiled. “You should be on a stage with an act like that.”
He blinked, unable to help the small smile that made its way on his face. “You… you really think so?”
“Yeah, you put on a show like that again and the whole place will be sold out.” Jackie assured him.
He couldn’t help the wry grin that brought to his face. “Th-thanks… I… I wish the theater agreed with you, they’ve shot me down at every audition I’ve had.”
“The theater?” Jackie frowned for the first time since meeting him before giving him a once over. “They’ve shot down your every audition… how many of those have you had? I mean, if you’ve had just one or two…”
“I’ve had dozens…” He sighed, his good mood evaporating like it always did.
“Well, then… fuck ‘em.” Jackie told him, a growl to his voice as his eyes began to glow. “If that theater won’t treat you right, then you don’t need them… you don’t need any of those… those backstabbing fuckers.”
“Jackie…” ‘Griffy’ called, watching them from the driver’s seat with concerned eyes.
“I’m good!” Jackie shouted more than said, before turning back to him and looking him in the eye. “You don’t need that theater. You don’t need any theater. You want to put on a performance then put on a fucking performance! Remember what I said? The world’s a stage? Well then, let’s make it your stage! Put on shows so big and bad that we make every theater that ever rejected you regret it!”
He shook his head. “I-I can’t just put on a performance- I-I need a script and, and props and-”
“And what? You didn’t have any of that shit today and you still put on a show that none of them will be forgetting!” Jackie assured him. “Hell if that’s what it takes to get you over this stage fright, I will drag you out there at gunpoint and have you put on another show and another until you realize that you can be as much a star as any of those assholes that look down on you!”
He swallowed, feeling something in the air that he’d only ever felt when watching the greatest of performances. “You promise?”
“I’ll fucking shake on it.” Jackie’s mad eyes met his own before the man stuck his hand out. “Stick with me and I’ll make sure they remember our names for a hundred years to come! All you’ve got to do is keep knockin’ ‘em dead with your shows my man!”
With shaky hands -knowing that this was insane and that the man in front of him couldn’t keep that promise- he still reached out and shook his hand, because some part of him… some part of him wanted to keep on dreaming.
---
He was a dreamer with his head in the clouds.
Everyone told him he needed to dream big, that he’d never amount to anything otherwise, but he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to believe them…
No matter how much reality beat him down, he… he wouldn’t give up on his dreams.
---
He was a star living the dream.
The only reason he could do that was because his boss forced him out of his comfort zone and out into the world where no one would be able to just ignore him.
No matter how much the crowds applauded, he knew… he’d never get enough.
---
He and the others stood in front of their audience.
Eyes upon him watching as they brought their story to life, making everyone experience emotions so elusive as they played out their roles.
No matter how much he couldn’t believe it, he… he really was one of them.
---
He was surrounded by women begging for his attention.
The moment he entered the room a spotlight shone down on him, causing everyone else to fade into the background as they prayed for him to look their way.
No matter how much they wanted him though… he deserved better.
---
He was enthralled by what he was seeing.
Everyone was, the whimsical cartoons playing out on the screen. A new invention mixing moving drawings with music for an illusion of life that surpassed the stage he dreamed of.
Everyone was, the way he brought the whimsical cartoons to life. A new power mixing Madness and his imagination bringing for the life that made up the stage he always dreamed of.
No matter how much he knew it was impossible… he dreamed of them coming off the screen.
---
He was going to take a risk for something better.
The theater was having auditions, and while he may have failed his last few tries, this one was different. Betty was auditioning too, and they could do it together.
The audience was watching him, and while he’d never done a show by himself, this one he had to. Betty was there… seeing who he’d become, for better and for worse.
No matter how much he feared her rejecting him… he had to try.
---
He was a success whose dreams were coming true!
Everyone had told him to go for his dreams and he was so glad he listened. Betty had watched his show and was still talking to him!
No matter how much he couldn’t believe it… his dreams were coming true.
---
He was content just being a good friend.
Things with Betty hadn’t been a part of the plan, but that didn’t mean he regretted them for a second. He’d love her until the day she broke his heart and even after.
No matter how much she’d kick his ass for even thinking she’d do that.
---
He was… he was thinking about things.
Every day was building him up. Every day win or lose, he tried something new. Every day he consoled the world with cartoons. Every day he made harsh reality a little more livable.
No matter how much the world tried to bring him down… he wouldn’t let it.
---
He was asleep, held in an eternal dream.
That was something he felt he should be more concerned about but he couldn’t really bring himself to do it. After all, he had Betty with him, he’d said his goodbyes to the Barons, still visited them in their dreams too. So if this was how he went out, well… he’d do it all again if he could.
No matter how much- “I can’t wait to see your encore, ya old toon.”
--- Joshua Durand ---
“W-what?” He blinked, finding himself staring once more at the grinning Cheshire Killjoy, (No… Jackie…)
“Don’t give up, you didn’t back then. So don't do it now.” A clawed hand gently pushed him back. “Besides, you promised to knock ‘em dead didn’t you?”
He stumbled away from the mannequin, finding that the tommy gun had disappeared from both his hands and reality itself. Leaving him physically empty handed even as it left him with something far more… ethereal. A hole in his heart, one he hadn’t even noticed except in his darkest moments, finally filling as he felt his imagination overflowing in a way that made the world just a little brighter and his resolve a little stronger.
Around him he could feel an audience three hundred and forty nine strong watching him, not including the audience physically present. Two sets of those physical eyes were staring at his back quite intently, the flow of Madness shifting around both of these outstanding volunteers, marking their importance amongst the crowd.
(Hmm, we shouldn’t leave our audience waiting like this. That was really quite rude of me. Why don’t we start the main act kid?)
As a sweet symphony started to surround them, he met the mannequin’s eyes as both halves of him quietly promised, “I’ll make sure they die laughing.” before spinning on his heel and facing his heroic audience with a mad grin on his face as he enacted